Marilena Vasilescu

Aggregation numbers and microstructure characterization of self-assembled aggregates of poly(ethylene oxide) surfactants and related block-copolymers, studied by spectroscopic methods.

This review presents typical examples of micellar size measurements and structural characterization of self-assembled systems as determined with spectroscopic methods, selected from our representative results accumulated in recent years of systematic studies. The choice of examples has aimed at emphasizing the potentiality of the methods used in the study of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) surfactants. By using the time-resolved fluorescence quenching method aggregation numbers have been determined for direct and reverse micelles as well as for micelle-like clusters formed in (bio)polymer-surfactant solutions. By using specific spectral parameters of a variety of properly chosen molecular probes [fluorescence, UV-VIS and electron spin resonance (ESR) spin probes], problems such as hydration degree and profile of the PEO chains, local viscosity, ordering and packing of surfactant chains have been addressed. The intention was to correlate results obtained from different spectroscopic methods and to refer all polarity data to a common scale, such as Kosowers polarity factor.

A TDDFT study of the fluorescence properties of three alkoxypyridylindolizine derivatives.

The fluorescence properties of three pyridylindolizine derivatives (one tricarbomethoxy-7-pyridyl-pyrrolopyridine and two dicarboethoxy-3-bromobenzoyl-7-pyridyl-pyrrolopyridines) have been investigated by applying density functional theory (DFT) and the time-dependent DFT (TDDFT). Performances of two hybrid-type functionals (BH&HLYP and B3LYP) and one generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functional (PBE) as well as three basis sets (SV(P), DZP, and TZVP) have been assessed. The solvent environment has been modeled with the conductor-like screening model (COSMO). Of the three functionals only BH&HLYP is able to yield reasonable estimates for all the studied indolizine derivatives whereas the success of the PBE and B3LYP functionals is highly dependent on the structure of the studied molecule. The SV(P) basis set provides geometrical changes as well as fluorescence maxima and Stokes shifts that agree with those obtained with DZP and TZVP. When a nonpolar solvent is used, COSMO is able to reproduce the experimental fluorescence maxima and Stokes shifts well. However, the agreement between the calculations and experiments is not as good when a solvent with higher polarity is used.

Energy Transfer from the Aminophthalate Dianion to Fluorescein

Energy transfer from the excited aminophthalate dianion species to fluorescein at pH 8.32 (Tris-HCl buffer) was studied. The excited aminophthalate dianion species was obtained either by excitation with UV radiation (330 nm), with fluorescence emission, or by the well-known chemical reaction luminol-hydrogen peroxide in an alkaline medium, with chemiluminescent emission, both with λmax at 425 nm. The influence of Co2+ and Mg2+ on fluorescence and chemiluminescence (CL) was studied. It was found that at low concentrations (10−7−10−9M), these ions do not modify the fluorescein fluorescence, however, the CL is strong affected. The effect of the concentration of these elements, which exert an influence on CL even at a high dilution (nanomolar concentration), was determined. In the case of Co2+ the prooxidant character is stronger than in the case of Mg2+, and therefore the CL enhancer effect is higher. Compared to the system without catalyst, their presence ensures stronger, prolonged, and stable light emission. The emission spectra, in the presence of fluorescein, show two bands with maxima at 425 and 520 nm, the second one being specific to fluorescein emission. The intensity of aminophthalate dianion luminescence is lower and the duration shorter in the presence of fluorescein. The influence of Co2+ and Mg2+ catalyst and fluorescein concentration on the energy transfer process was studied. The efficiency of the energy transfer process for these two situations (fluorescence and CL) was compared. An attempt was made to replace hydrogen peroxide with superoxide anion (solubilized by means of crown ether) and its effect upon the energy transfer process was observed.

Spectrophotometric Study of Luminol in Dimethyl Sulfoxide–Potassium Hydroxide

The spectrophotometric study of luminol (LH2) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), DMSO-water solutions, and alkaline DMSO and DMSO-water solutions has been done, focusing on the effect of the KOH additon on LH2 absorption and fluorescence properties. The absorption spectra indicate an acid-base equilibrium, and the luminol dianion (L2−) formation at 3 × 10−4 − 2.4 × 10−3M KOH. The decrease of the fluorescence intensity and the variation of the excitation spectra of LH2-DMSO-KOH solutions with KOH concentration have been similarly explained. The acid-base process is reversible. The addition of HCl to the solution with 3.0 × 10−3 M KOH leads to an increase of the fluorescence intensity to its highest value, observed in pure DMSO. The addition of HCl to the LH2-DMSO solution leads to the decrease of the fluorescence intensity as a result of the LH+3 cation formation. In LH2-DMSO-water, the fluorescence band is shifted from 405 nm to 424 nm and increased in the intensity. In the presence of KOH (in LH2-DMSO-water-KOH solution) a new band appears, with the maximum at 485 nm and the band at 405 nm decreased. The changes in fluorescence lifetimes also evidence the different chemical species formed.

Spectrophotometric Characteristics of New Pyridylindolizine Derivatives Solutions

Three new pyridylindolizine derivatives, 1, 2, 3-tricarbometoxi-7-(4-pyridyl)-pyrrolo[1, 2-a]pyridine (I), 1,2-dicarboethoxy-3-(4-bromobenzoyl)-7-(4-pyridyl)-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyridine (II) and its isomer 1,2-dicarboethoxy-3- (4-bromobenzoyl) -5- (2-pyridyl) -pyrrolo[1, 2-a]pyridine (III) have been investigated in different solutions by UV-VIS absorption, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorescence methods. The effects of the substituent and solvent on the spectroscopic properties have been demonstrated. The fluorescence decay data could be fitted to a single-exponential function. The lifetime values are higher in protic polar than in aprotic apolar solvents for compound I. In the case of compounds II and III the fluorescence intensities and lifetimes are very low, with the exception of III in aprotic solvents. The absorption and fluorescence properties of the compounds showed a solvent dependence.

Structural factors influencing the reaction rates of 4-aryloxy-7-nitrobenzofurazans with amino acids

An interesting observation was made when studying the SNAr reaction between several 4-aryloxy-7-nitrobenzofurazans (2) and several amino acids leading to the apparition of detectable fluorescence from the substitution products3. Acidic amino acids reacted very slowly=while basic amino acids react fastest with2 having an unsubstituted phenyl or a 4-formyl-phenyl Ar group. Amongst neutral amino acids, proline reacts fastest at room temperature after 100 min. With2 having a methoxy-subtituted Ar group.

Ternary microemulsions of vinylic and acrylic monomers

Ternary systems consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as surfactant, water and several vinyl and acrylic monomers [vinyl acetate (VAc), acrylonitrile (ACN), ethyl acrylate (EtA), butyl acrylate (BuA), 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl methacrylate (MMB) and styrene (St)] were studied. The solubilization of monomer in aqueous solutions of SDS was found to be dependent on its structure and concentration. The molar specific solubility was observed to decrease with hydrophobicity and increase with polarity of monomer, that is, it was lowest for St, EHA and highest for MMA, EtA. The NMR and fluorescence studies indicate that solubilization occurred at a different domain of the interfacial layer. The hydrophobic monomers are solubilized toward the hydrocarbon interior of the micelles whereas the hydrophilic ones, toward the hydrated tail of the surfactant. The penetration of monomers into the oil-in-water interface is limited because the screening of charged ions of emulsifier is not operative. A relationship between the persulfate initiator decomposition rate and the lability of the a-hydrogen linked to the substituted carbon of the double bond was established. The initiator productivity was the highest for MMA (lacking such a-hydrogen) and the lowest for VAc and St, the monomers in which the C–Ha bond is the most reactive. 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modulation of dansyl moiety fluorescence in systems containing cyclodextrins

The present study reports on the changes in dansyl moiety fluorescence due to the interactions with the β-cyclodextrin cavity observed by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. First, the interaction of a guest molecule, dansyl-TEMPO (DT), which has in its structure a dansyl group as a fluorescent moiety and a paramagnetic fragment (TEMPO), with β-cyclodextrin was studied. Analysis of the EPR spectral parameters provided additional information on the host–guest interaction, suggesting that the cyclodextrin cavity accommodates dansyl rather than a TEMPO moiety. Second, the affinity between 1-adamantol or adamantane end-capped polyethylene glycols – A2Pnn – (as guests) and dansyl-β-cyclodextrin (D-β-CD, as a host) was investigated. In the presence of adamantol, the intensity of fluorescence of D-β-CD decreases and a hypsochromic effect was noticed. The same behaviour was observed in the presence of A2Pnn. Using Benesi–Hildebrand and Stern–Volmer equations and also the sensitivity factor made possible to obtain quantitative data on the interaction between the dansyl moiety and the cyclodextrin cavity. The formation of inclusion complexes in the solid state between D-β-CD and A2Pnn was evidenced analysing the DSC curves of the pure solids, physical mixture and prepared solid complexes. In addition, the use of D-β-CD for fluorescent labeling of a covalently based network hydrogel and diffusion of dansyl derivatives into a gel are shown as possible further application of this study.

The Influence of Monomers upon Microemulsions with Short Chain Cosurfactant

Several monomers (i.e., acrylonitrile (ACN), ethyl acrylate (EtA), acrylate of 2 ethylhexyl (EHA), butyl acrylate (BuA), vinyl acetate (VAc), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene (St)) were investigated in order to study their capacities to form microemulsions. The surfactant was nonyl phenol ethoxylate with 25 moles ethylene oxide and ethanol was used as the cosurfactant. The phase diagrams prove that the capacity for microemulsion formation varies in the following sequence: ACN = EtA > VAc > BuA > MMA > St > EHA. Conductometric and refractometric studies allowed us to evidence the formation of microemulsions with W/O, bicontinuous or O/W structure. Fluorescence studies give interesting informations on the stabilization capacity of the monomers dispersed by interaction with hydrophobic chain of the cosurfactant. H-NMR studies suggest that the monomers in microemulsions lie in regions with various polarities as function of their chemical nature. In polymerization initiated with benzoyl peroxide the minimum conversions were obtained in zones of composition where the initial microemulsions possess a bicontinuous microstructure. The reactions of degradative transfer of the increasing macroradicals account for these conversion modifications. For initiation with ammonium persulphate, its rate of decomposition depends on its ability to displace the proton bonded to the substituted vinylic carbon of the monomer. The productivity of this initiator varies within the sequence MMA > EtA > BuA > St > ACN > VAc. The consumption of the initiator, as induced by the monomer, depends on its chemical nature and on the solubilization site of the microemulsions.

Microstructure of polyelectrolyte nanoaggregates studied by fluorescence probe method.

The microstructure of water soluble nanoaggregates based on polyelectrolyte complex formed by the cationic comb-type copolymer poly(acrylamide -co-[3- (methacryloyl-amino)propyl] trimethylammonium chloride)-graft- polyacrylamide [P(AM-co-MAPTAC)-g-PAM] and the anionic linear polyelectrolyte sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) was investigated using the fluorescence probe technique. The fluorescence probe were 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS), pyrene (Py) and 1,10-bis(1-pyrene) decane (PD). The fluorescence properties in polyelectrolyte complex solutions, which are sensitive to either micropolarity (ANS, Py) or microviscosity (PD), were related to the quantities obtained in different pure or mixed solvents. Micropolarities were quantified utilizing the polarity common index (Reichardt) ET(30). ANS and Py showed a variation of the micropolarity with the charge ratio of the two polymers, with the lowest polarity reached at the complex neutralization. The PD probe, by its excimer-to-monomer fluorescence intensities ratio, enabled us to evidence the effect of the composition and the comb-type copolymer grafting density on the microviscosity of the interpolyelectrolytes aggregates. It has been found that the microviscosity increased with the density of the grafting PAM chains.